1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for collating sample chips. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for automatically collating sample laminate chips used at design centers for the selection of proper laminates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Those who have redone a kitchen or bathroom have been confronted with choosing an appropriate countertop. In many cases, the individuals choose from a variety of decorative laminates used in the fabrication of countertops.
The choice can often be overwhelming when one considers the vast number of available colors and designs. Since providing complete sheets of laminate for consideration by consumers is not practical, laminate manufacturers commonly provide design centers with laminate samples from which consumers may choose a desired laminate for the fabrication of a countertop, or other decorative laminate product.
Decorative laminate samples are commonly small chips which are approximately 2xe2x80x3 by 3xe2x80x3. Each chip includes a hole for displaying and retaining the chips in an organized manner. Generally, the chips are displayed either on a board from which many samples are hung or on a sample chip chain. While a board may be a convenient display for use within a store, a board may not be conveniently moved from place to place, and sample chips are, therefore, frequently held on a sample chip chain.
Sample chip chains are commonly assembled by stringing a variety of sample chips on a single flexible chain. Sample chip chains have previously been manually assembled. The people assembling the sample chip chains carefully collect the hundreds of different sample chips and place the chips on a flexible chain. As can well be appreciated, this is a highly time consuming endeavor.
As such, a need exists for an apparatus which conveniently and reliably collects the hundreds of sample chips for use on sample chip chains. The present invention provides such an apparatus.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a collating apparatus for collecting sample chips. The collating apparatus includes a framework supporting a plurality of supply bins housing sample chips and a track running adjacent the plurality of supply bins. The apparatus further includes at least one collection bin shaped and dimensioned for movement on the track and at least one gantry for transferring sample chips from the plurality of supply bins to the at least one collection bin when the at least one collection bin is aligned with respective supply bins.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for collecting sample chips. The method is achieved by housing a plurality of different sample chips respectively within a plurality of supply bins, moving a collection bin past the plurality of supply bins, moving a sample chip from a supply bin to the collection bin when the collection bin is aligned with the supply bin, and repeating the steps of moving a collection bin and moving a sample chip for each of the plurality of supply bins.